The electrically insulating shell and related electrically insulating device according to the present disclosure can be suitable for use inside the cabinet of electric switchgear panels, for example, when retrofitting existing switchgear panels, and will be described in reference to such applications, without intending however to limit their broader applications.
The use of electrically insulating devices is known in the field of electricity.
Such insulating devices can electrically insulate the conductor to which they are associated from the surrounding environment. In addition, depending on the specific applications, they can provide a good mechanical robustness and/or thermal stability for a long lifetime.
Further, insulating devices should also have a whole structure, which can be relatively inexpensive to produce, relatively easy to install, and relatively flexible, for example, adaptable to different configurations without incurring substantial or cumbersome modifications.
These latter specifications can play an important role when insulating devices have to be installed inside the cabinet of switchgear panels since more than one insulating device is usually needed, the space available can be limited, and the distance between conductive parts can be rather short.
These aspects can be important when retrofitting an existing switchgear panel. For example, in these cases, when instead of replacing the entire switchgear panel, a user replaces only the existing circuit breaker with a new and different one, a problem of compatibility can arise for example between the new circuit breaker to be used and the structural and/or functional characteristics of the existing switchgear panel. For example, the distance between the pre-existing contact pieces of the electric circuit into which the circuit breaker has to be inserted can be totally different and unsuitable with respect to the distance of the corresponding input and output connection contacts of the circuit breaker; hence, the installer should form “ad hoc” paths for electrically connecting each contact of the circuit breaker to the respective contact piece of the associated circuit.
For example, an insulating device should have first a structure adapted to be applied to the specific conductive path to which is it associated. However, for a greater market appeal, the insulating device should have its own structure applicable to different paths at least within the same cabinet and can fit within limits and constraints imposed by the surrounding parts of the panel, without needing substantial modifications to the structure.